The Menga Dolmen in Antequera will be open to visitors again starting next weekend.

Julio J. Portabales

The Menga Dolmen will reopen to the public starting next weekend. The most emblematic monument of the Archaeological Ensemble of the ... Dolmens of Antequera will regain normality after two months of conservation and protection work on its tumulus, an action aimed at preventing leaks, improving water tightness, and strengthening the asset's resistance against humidity and erosion.

The announcement was made by the acting Minister of Culture and Sports, Patricia del Pozo, during her visit to the Antequera site, where she also presented the program for the European Archaeology Days 2026 in Andalusia. The intervention in Menga had a budget of 53,584 euros, funded by European Feader funds, and represents the first action of this kind on the dolmen since 2005.

The work focused on the tumulus covering the megalithic chamber. According to Del Pozo, the aim was to restore water tightness through a breathable waterproofing that protects the structure without compromising the conservation conditions of the monument. It is an intervention that is not very visible to the visitor, but crucial for preserving one of the great milestones of European megalithic architecture.

The reopening also comes at a particularly significant time for Antequera. The Archaeological Ensemble of the Dolmens of Antequera was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016, and the city is already preparing to commemorate the tenth anniversary of that recognition. The mayor, Manuel Barón, thanked the commitment of the regional government to the conservation of the site and emphasized that Menga will reopen "in the best possible conditions" to continue being one of the great heritage and cultural references of Andalusia and Spain.

The Archaeological Ensemble of the Dolmens of Antequera was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016

Menga is the monumental centerpiece of the Antequera ensemble and one of the main cultural and tourist attractions of the city. Its temporary closure has allowed for addressing a specific need: to strengthen the protection of the tumulus and prevent problems related to humidity. Starting next weekend, locals and visitors will be able to access the interior of the dolmen again after the completion of the work.

European Archaeology Days

Del Pozo's visit to Antequera also served to present the European Archaeology Days, which will be held on June 12, 13, and 14 with more than a hundred proposals spread throughout Andalusia. The program includes workshops for adults and children, routes through archaeological sites, guided and dramatized tours, concerts, lectures, and activities linked to new technologies such as photogrammetry and artificial intelligence applied to 3D models.

The Ministry of Culture and Sports has involved museums, cultural ensembles and sites, as well as associations, foundations, educational centers, universities, municipalities, and private entities for this edition. All activities will be free and will be distributed across about 55 Andalusian municipalities. In the last edition, these days recorded 4,858 visitors, consolidating Andalusia as one of the European benchmarks for this celebration.

Among the proposals spread across Andalusia are an engraving workshop on Neolithic iconography from Almería at the Francisco Villaespesa Library, activities about toys from 2,000 years ago at the Almería Gate, a route by the Center for Underwater Archaeology through La Caleta de Cádiz, guided tours to sites like Ategua or Monturque in Córdoba, and workshops at the Archaeological Ensemble of Madinat al-Zahra.

The Archaeological Ensemble of the Dolmens of Antequera will also be one of the participating spaces with a dramatized tour dedicated to relevant Andalusian characters in the history of the site. In the province of Málaga, visits to the Roman villa of La Estación de Antequera, to the site of the Cave of Ardales, and to the Cave of the Pileta, in Benaoján, as well as lectures at the Museum of Málaga on the Roman necropolis found during the metro works are also planned.

• More topics
• Dólmenes de Antequera
• Benaoján
• Málaga (Province)
• Antequera
• Patricia del Pozo